


Child of the Moon

by alainey



Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Gen, Introspection, Lunari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 07:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19785784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alainey/pseuds/alainey
Summary: In every city they pass through, Leona is revered.She is welcomed at every turn - hailed, greeted, and embraced - by the awed, bright-eyed citizens of Mount Targon. Women wave to her in the streets, merchants push upon her their wares as tokens of their faith, and warriors never hesitate to supplicate themselves in her presence. Those who know intimately of her ascension - the ones that have heard whispers of the prophecies that bind her - will offer additional, quieter words of encouragement as she passes, their wonderment and conviction near tangible in her wake.Diana, on the other hand, has never received the same.





	Child of the Moon

In every city they pass through, Leona is revered. 

She is welcomed at every turn - hailed, greeted, and embraced - by the awed, bright-eyed citizens of Mount Targon. Women wave to her in the streets, merchants push upon her their wares as tokens of their faith, and warriors never hesitate to supplicate themselves in her presence. Those who know intimately of her ascension - the ones that have heard whispers of the prophecies that bind her - will offer additional, quieter words of encouragement as she passes, their wonderment and conviction near tangible in her wake.

Diana, on the other hand, has never received the same.

She is not shunned, per say - as word of her powers and her commitment to Leona have also spread throughout the settlements of the Rakkor - but no matter where they go, she is never greeted with the same fervor that Leona is. The women that wave to Leona eye her with thinly veiled suspicion, the merchants regard her with indifference and loathe to make eye contact, and the warriors, the worst of them all, will simply stare at her - her weapon, her forehead, her hair - with undisguised, gut-wrenching hostility.

And so, whenever they head into town to replenish their supplies, Diana always makes the conscious decision to hang back - away from Leona, and away from the crowd. She lets Leona do the talking, the bartering, the laughing, and no matter how much Leona tries to pull her in, Diana simply smiles, waves her onward, and waits.

It’s easier, Diana feels, to do things this way. She’s not upset - and she never has been - for she recognizes the role that she plays and knows what Leona represents to the people of the Mountain. Diana has always been content to live a life in Leona’s shadow - the spotlight having never felt right for her - and so she accepts the way things are, and she conforms to them.

\- -

Although the town they’re visiting today is fairly large - its marketplace sprawling wide around the east side of one of Targon’s spires - its people are as wary as ever. Leona and Diana make their way through the central road of the mercantile district, and though the street is flooded with bodies, Diana finds it easy to make her way through the crowd: people part for her wherever she goes. Diana doesn’t mind - it’s easier to admire the city itself without having to push through the impatient bodies of people who have their own places to be. Large storefronts sit flush against the base of the spire, carved into the face of the rocks, and alleyways with smaller stands lay nestled, sporadically, in between. Those alleyways seem to crawl deep into the spire - thin and winding in their paths - and Diana peers down each one as she passes. The lanterned halls, Diana notices - though scattered and meandering at first glance - all seem to head in a singular direction through the great stone monolith, and Diana can’t help but wonder if all the tunnels eventually converge at the top.

All in all, Diana notes, it’s a very nice city - lively, well maintained, and full of just the right amount of intrigue. Despite the noticeable avoidance of many of its residents, the hostile glances she receives throughout the city are minimal, and those that she does get are ones that are easily ignored. Even better, the merchants are too busy, too competitive, and altogether too committed to their work to turn away a potential customer, and Diana finds herself happily browsing stalls while Leona barters for their goods. 

She’s admiring the bindings on a set of leather-bound journals when she feels a hand land heavily on her arm. Diana starts - stomach dropping nearly as fast as her book does - and steels herself for potential confrontation. However, instead of the suspicious face of a city guard, Diana turns to find a loosely robed old woman, small in stature and with a curious expression flickering across her face. 

“I - hello,” Diana says, her heartbeat still thumping loudly as she looks down at the other woman’s hand. “Can I help you?”

The old woman blinks at her a couple times, quick and open and curious. Delicate wrinkles are woven like spider webs across her skin, and Diana watches, mildly confused, as the woman’s features crinkle themselves into a tentative smile. 

“Are you alright?” Diana asks again, and the woman gives a small nod.

“Ah -” the old woman starts, her voice shaking slightly as she retracts her hand. “Yes, yes - I’m quite alright, dear. And I’m so very sorry for startling you.” 

“It’s perfectly alright,” Diana replies, shooting her a small smile as she leans down to pick up the journal she had dropped. She dusts it off with her hands before placing it back on the shelf where she’d found it. “No harm done.”

The woman hums, looking over the book Diana had just returned, before placing her hand tentatively upon Diana’s arm once more. “I know I’m just an old crone, but if it wouldn’t trouble you, dear - I’d really appreciate some help walking across the main road.” She smiles at Diana, soft and inquisitive, and nods her head towards one of the alleyways that slip into the side of the spire opposite the road. “Everything gets just a bit too busy for me sometimes.” 

Diana looks down at her, curious, and wonders if the woman isn’t trying to scam her. The woman certainly isn’t incapable of crossing the street on her own - she’s old, but not that old - and it isn’t like Diana owes her anything. And yet, the woman’s inquiry had been so sincere, so earnest. Diana looks at her a moment longer, searching for any semblance of malicious intent, and - upon finding none - happily relents. After all, it isn’t like she hasn’t got the time.

“All right,” Diana replies, before straightening up and allowing the woman to arrange her arm in a more adequate fashion. The woman nods happily, and together - slowly - they start to walk.

Their path is careful, with hurried people moving around them in waves, and the woman chatters gratefully to Diana the entire way. She talks of her mother - now passed - who grew up in the city and raised her, and talks of her siblings and their children, and their children’s’ children. She herself is childless, she explains to Diana, but she’s never really minded - in fact, she’s quite happy living the life she’s led. Diana is attentive in her listening - heart swelling with each word, and she tries not to dwell on how she’ll likely never speak to another Rakkor in the same way again. 

When they finally reach the other side of the street, Diana starts to drop her arm - ready to thank the other woman for both her time and her conversation - yet the woman shakes her head and points to one of the smaller alleyways.

“Just a little farther,” the old woman says, pleading, and Diana shrugs, nods, and continues to walk. The bustle of the market gets less abrasive as they go, and the two eventually stop outside a small, closed storefront that reads “Herbal Remedies” in winding black font upon the door.

“Here, dear, this is more than far enough.” The woman drops her arm, and Diana turns to look down at her. The old woman’s gaze is shockingly piercing when she meets Diana’s - heavy and hopeful and unlike any other that the people of Rakkor have given her - and the weight of it makes Diana’s heart skip a beat. The woman is so quiet when she finally speaks again, but - to Diana - her next words feel clear as day. The resonate through Diana’s soul, embracing, welcoming, and Diana feels as though she is falling: “I always knew that our champion would return, but I never thought I’d live to see it. Diana, Child of the Moon - we’ve waited for you for so long.”

“I - um,” Diana stutters, her tongue seemingly stuck to the roof of her mouth. “Thank you, ma'am, I - I’m so sorry for making you wait.” 

The woman smiles, happy and generous, and shakes her head again. “I was willing to wait as long as necessary - we all were. You were our hope - are our hope - and I can tell that the Moon has graced us with a champion worthy to be called one of our own.”

“You are - Lunari, then?” Diana asks, voice cracking on the word, and the old woman smiles wider - happily, freely. 

“Yes,” she replies, reverent, “forever, and always.” She pulls a thin pendant out from beneath her robes, slipping it off and over her neck to present to Diana. Soft, circular moonstone rests in the palm of her hand, polished brightly and engraved with the symbol of the Lunari: the symbol of her people - their people. An identical mark glows white upon Diana’s forehead, and Diana resists the urge to reach up and touch it.

“Though we are few, we remain strong in our beliefs - the Solari could not put all of us to sleep.” Diana’s breath hitches at the same time the old woman’s voice does, and the woman’s hand closes tightly around the glittering pendant. “We knew you would eventually awaken - that your aspect would one day return to us from the celestial plane. We know what you are capable of, and we know what you must do.”

The woman takes a breath, lips quirking at Diana’s still-shocked features. “Your road is long and hard, Diana, and the Lunari have always known this. But I know that you are strong enough to face it. I believe in you - we all do.”

The words sink into Diana’s mind just as a familiar voice begins to shout for her from the main marketplace road. Leona’s questioning calls are unhurried, yet tinged with concern, and Diana glances down at the Lunari woman, who gazes back at her with quiet understanding. The woman reaches out to grasp Diana’s hands tightly in her own, letting the pendant shift easily into Diana’s palm.

“Take it, please,” the woman says, and Diana nods once, her mouth forming soundless words of thanks.

Leona shouts again - clear and sharp over the rest of the voices that carry to Diana’s ears, and the old woman smiles softly.

“Return to her,” the Lunari woman says, eyes glistening, and Diana squeezes their hands together tightly, the tiny moonstone pendant feeling heavy between their palms. “And remember that we are here for you, always: watching, waiting, and believing. You herald the change that we have dreamed of for centuries, and I know that you are everything we have been waiting for in our champion. You will do great, Diana of the Lunari.”

Something in Diana sings then, and the old woman finally drops her hands, the pendant warm in Diana’s own.

“Thank you,” Diana finally whispers to her, unable to muster up anything more than that, and the older woman nods, knowingly and contentedly. And then, still smiling softly, the old Lunari woman slips off.

“Diana!” Leona calls, voice loud and relieved as she steps into Diana’s alley. Diana turns around to find the Solari woman walking swiftly up to her, a small bag of supplies clutched tightly in one hand. “There you are!”

The old Lunari woman is fully out of sight by the time Leona reaches her - Diana having walked forward to meet her halfway. She’d taken the time to slip the Lunari pendant up and around her neck, and it hangs there, warm and welcome against her skin, as soon as Leona embraces her.

“Are you alright?” Leona asks, her voice back to its normal pitch as she looks over Diana’s person. “I’ve been looking for you for a while and I was getting worried - who was that woman?”

Diana smiles softly. “Just an elder I helped cross the street, that’s all.” Her reply is light, happy. “She had an interesting story though - I’ll tell you about it later.” Leona looks at her curiously, but Diana just shrugs, smile growing brighter. They’ll have more time to talk once they’re out of the city, and anyway - Diana wants to keep the moment to herself for just a little while longer. “Don’t worry yourself, Leona - I’m perfectly fine.”

“Well, she seems to have left you in one piece, at least,” Leona says, giving her a look. A beat passes, then Leona shrugs, allowing her eyes to crinkle at the edges as hefts her pack triumphantly over her shoulder. “I’ve gotten everything we need. So, shall we continue moving forward?”

The bustle of the city grows dim as Leona extends her hand, bright and shining and beautiful, and Diana knows in her heart that she's happier now than she has been in months. A small moonstone pendant hangs gently against her softly beating chest, and Diana doesn’t hesitate before taking Leona’s hand in her own.

“Yeah,” Diana replies, smile splitting wide, “I think that it’s about time we do.”

\- -

It’s only later, when Diana’s recounting the story to Leona under the light of the silk white moon, that she realizes she never got the woman’s name. It hadn’t crossed her mind at the time - more preoccupied with what the woman was than who she was - but she tells Leona that she hopes they’ll eventually meet again.

She’ll come back to this city after the war with the Voidborn has been settled, and - provided she’s able to find her - she’ll simply ask for the woman’s name then. Afterwards, Diana will return her pendant, and tell her how much it had helped her to know that there were people who believed in her. And finally - when all is said and done - Diana will walk away from the other woman, content in the knowledge that she’d accomplished everything that the other woman had believed her capable of, and live happily ever after.

Leona holds her then, laughing, and tells her that’s exactly what will happen in the future. Diana smiles into the other woman’s shoulder, satisfied with her new goal. It’s such a small, silly dream, but it’s something she can look forward to - something she can hope to accomplish in the years to come. 

For in the end, it’s dreams like these that help keep her moving forward.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [leagueofwriting](https://twitter.com/leagueofwriting) prompt “belief” and inspired by the slide on Mount Targon’s Universe page that implies there are still some number of Lunari practicing their beliefs in secret. 
> 
> Find me [here](https://twitter.com/alainey_lee) on twitter!


End file.
